International Courses – Portugal

The Certificate in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy programme will be held for the 6th time in Portugal (click here for more details), and with the enthusiastic cooperation of Formaterapia. This company is run by Francisco Neto who is an excellent organizer, running many successful courses in Portugal many times every year. The Certificate in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy program promises attendees an excellent and unique program in effective and evidence based manual therapy, which will increase participants clinical skills and further their professional development.
Program overview

Here is a fantastic opportunity to stimulate your clinical practice and enhance your career. Manual Concepts and Curtin University are offering a partnership in post-graduate clinical education leading to higher education qualifications. Eligible participants completing the 4-week Certificate in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy program provided by Manual Concepts and Formaterapia now have the opportunity to undertake distance-learning units through the School of Physiotherapy, which then accelerates completion of the Masters in Clinical Physiotherapy (Manipulative Therapy stream). These qualifications lead to level 2 titled membership of the MPA specialist interest group. This exciting new opportunity could be your stepping stone to an even higher professional status beyond level 2 entitlement, through to membership of the Australian College of Physiotherapists as a Clinical Specialist.

After completing the 4-week program, recognition of prior learning may be granted by the University, the equivalent of completing the Musculoskeletal Science unit 751. This then accelerates completion of the Masters in Clinical Physiotherapy (Manipulative Therapy). This qualification leads to level 2 titled membership of the MPA special interest group of the Australian Physiotherapy Association. This exciting opportunity could be your stepping stone to an even higher professional status beyond level 2 entitlement, through to membership of the Australian College of Physiotherapists as a Clinical Specialist. Eligibility to undertake these Postgraduate courses at Curtin University depends on a number of factors including English language ability (IELTS score of 7.0) and a Batchelor’s degree in physiotherapy. For more details about further opportunities after competing Manual Concepts 4-week program please download more information by clicking here. Alternatively you can visit Curtin University’s website for more details. Please understand that Curtin University’s website does not give information about recognition of prior learning for Manual Concepts courses, as each person is treated on an individual basis. If you are interested in undertaking Curtin University’s courses after taking Manual Concepts Certificate in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy then please contact Curtin University directly. Manual Concepts cannot determine eligibility for distance learning or other units.
This comprehensive four-week programme provides clinicians with intensive tuition in an integrated approach to orthopaedic manual therapy of the spine, sacroiliac joints, ankle/foot, hip, knee and shoulder girdle complex. This very popular Manual Concepts course is held in Perth and annually in Europe, with the cooperation of Formaterapia, a continuous professional development company based in Portugal but organizing courses throughout Europe.
The primary aim of the program is to integrate joint, muscle and neural tissue based manual therapy concepts, with special reference to state of the art evidence based practice, to provide a more functional and comprehensive approach to the management of a range of neuromusculoskeletal conditions. This is a unique opportunity to be educated and closely supervised by our internationally respected team of clinical educators led by Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists Kim Robinson and Dr Toby Hall.

The syllabus places particular emphasis on the spinal regions and related spinal pain disorders with relevant consideration of the shoulder girdle complex, hip, knee, ankle/foot, and pelvis/sacroiliac joints. This syllabus is a biopsychosocial approach which integrates a range of manual therapy concepts developed by many different manual therapists. The core principle of the approach taken is classification and sub-grouping of pain disorders, including assessment for psychosocial issues. Management is based on identification of specific sub-groups amenable to manual therapy including movement impairment (articular dysfunction), motor control impairment, and neural tissue pain disorders. Assessment of articular dysfunction incorporates the Combined Movement approach, as well as evaluation of segmental motion and pain provocation tests. Treatment for this sub-group includes a range of mobilisation, manipulation (high velocity thrust) and mobilisation with movement techniques. Evaluation and management of motor control impairment is designed around the O’Sullivan approach. Neural pain disorders are sub-classified into Neuropathic pain with sensory hypersensitivity, Compression neuropathy, and peripheral nerve sensitization. This sub-classification system is management driven and is backed up by supporting evidence.

Kim Robinson and Dr Toby Hall are the coordinators and course developers. Awarded Fellowship of the Australian College of Physiotherapists, they have 60 years clinical experience between them and have taught manual therapy for more than 25 years at a postgraduate university level. In addition for the last 20 years they have been teaching short manual therapy courses to physiotherapists around the world. Toby and Kim are the principal educators for the program and guide participants through the comprehensive course content.

Participants are provided with extensive pre-course reading material and handouts to cover all aspects of the program. Varied teaching formats, including slides, video and practical demonstration facilitate the learning and clinical reasoning processes. Patients, where possible, will be presented to the group to illustrate the clinical application of the approach.

Evidence based practice is a strong theme of the course. Participants are guided through a logical and clinically reasoned approach to the evaluation of the patients presenting condition. Participants are taught skills and techniques that enhance efficient and effective physical examination of a wide range of clinical presentations.
Participants completing the Manual Concepts 4-week Certificate in Orthopædic Manual Therapy program may be eligible to apply for credits towards advanced standing (Recognition of Prior Learning for unit “Musculoskeletal Science 751”) in the Graduate Certificate in Clinical Physiotherapy (Manipulative Therapy stream) and Masters in Clinical Physiotherapy (Manipulative Therapy stream) offered by Curtin University of Technology. Those who wish to, and who have appropriate qualifications (typically a Batchelor’s degree in Physiotherapy and an English IELTS score of 7.0), may then able to enroll in the School of Physiotherapy’s 3 distance learning units, “Evidence Based Practice 750”, “Management of Pain Disorders 652” and “Anatomy and Pathology 651”. These units are completed over 2-3 semesters (12-18 months). Each distance learning unit will incur an additional cost payable directly to Curtin University. Upon successful completion of these units the participant will be awarded a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Physiotherapy (Manipulative Therapy). Further to completion of this course participants may be eligible to enroll in second semester (5 months) of the Masters in Clinical Physiotherapy (Manipulative Therapy stream) to achieve this qualification. This would lead to level 2 membership of the MPA group of the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Those participants interested in gaining further information about the distance learning units or higher programs should go to Curtin University ‘s website by clicking on this link, or contact Postgraduate Course Enquiries at the School of Physiotherapy via email (HlthSci-SS@exchange.curtin.edu.au).